Woman IAS officer in Haryana alleges superior official sexually harassed her

Her senior, however, rubbished the allegations and claimed that the woman officer had been advised "not to find faults with the files which have got all necessary clearances from other officials".
Int this file photo, various women's organization of Assam take part in a protest rally against the rape cases in the country in Guwahati on Saturday. | PTI
Int this file photo, various women's organization of Assam take part in a protest rally against the rape cases in the country in Guwahati on Saturday. | PTI

CHANDIGARH: A 28-year-old woman IAS officer of 2014 batch of Haryana cadre in a facebook post today has accused her senior of sexual harassment who is of the rank of additional chief secretary in the state government. It is the same state from where three years back Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' (save girl child, educate her) scheme.

The woman officer wrote a post on her Facebook page that her boss first called her to his office on May 22 and threatened her that why is she giving adverse comments on official files and if she did not abide he would not just get me transferred from department within two months but would also complain against her and went to the extent that he will spoil her Annual Confidential Report (ACR) if she did not stop writing adverse comments. 

"He questioned me why I write on files the wrongs the department has done," she wrote.

She had also sent an e-mail to the Office of President detailing the entire incident.

She alleged that her superior was forcing her to go with him to an event at Rohtak, where he was scheduled to deliver a discourse on spirituality.

Again her senior officer called on May 31 and told his personal staff that no other person should enter the room as he was making unwanted advances. 

"He asked me to tell what type of work I wanted to do, whether I want departmental work or time-pass work and then he asked me to stop writing adverse comments on the files.  He told me that like a newlywed bride, she has to be explained everything and he was explaining to me in the same manner. His behaviour seemed immoral," she alleged in her post.

Giving further details in her FB post she writes, once again on June 6, she was again called by her superior to his office at 5 pm and asked her to stay there till 7.39pm. 

"I was sitting on the other side of the table in front of him. He asked me to get up and come closer to his chair. When I reached the other side of the table, he pretended to
teach me how to operate a computer. I rushed back to my chair. After some time, he got up pretending to find a paper, he came close to my chair and pushed it.’’

The lady officer is now alleging that the senior officer and some of his colleagues were now threatening her. A senior woman officer told her not to give any complaint in writing and that her security cover had been withdrawn and she fears his men can harm me physically. 

“I want thorough enquiry including the review of CCTV footage of the office of my senior and seek police security for me as I am under constant threat,” she said.

While the senior IAS officer on whom the young lady IAS officer has levelled serious allegation of sexual harassment has termed then baseless and false. He said that she has a habit of writing notes on all files seeking an opinion of AG office.

She was just told she should desist from doing this and she could not have been told this in front of other officers. He said that in fact, he had gone out of his way to help her after she was posted in the department he is heading.

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